Midnight Blue
by MistOfGrayDawn
Summary: Eight year old Bura runs away after a fight with her brother Trunks and ends up on a remote island in the Pacific. There she is found by a tribe of apes and taken in. She is finally found after 6 years, but a lot can change in 6 years... R&R please!
1. Chapter 1

Bura flew as fast as she could, tears streaming from her eyes. _I hate you, Trunks! _She thought spitefully. Right now she hated her brother. She had only wanted to play with him and Goten. They had been sparring and she was bored. She had only wanted to play! They didn't have to push her down the hill! Poor Bura had scraped her knees and elbows, and Trunks had started laughing. More tears blurred her vision as she remembered the stinging humiliation. She was only eight, and had just learned to fly. Bura didn't know where she was going; she just wanted to get as far away as possible.

Collapsing on a beach, she didn't know where or how far away, Bura lay on her back, alternating between gasping and sobbing. She had been flying for over an hour at top speed, and was exhausted. Her long blue hair fell over her face, covering her bright blue eyes, rimmed with red from crying. She was soon asleep under the dark sky of the island.

Bura's eyes fluttered open, focusing on the object in front of her, which happened to be the face of a hairy ape! She screamed, jerking in her bonds. She discovered her hands and feet were bound with tough jungle vine, and she was lying on the ground in front of a band of apes. Bura screamed again, wriggling in her spot. The ape in front of her looked surprised, backing up a few steps. The blue-haired girl calmed down, looking around her.

The creatures surrounding her were like no apes she had ever seen or heard of. They were big and broad-shouldered, with long muzzles and bright faces like baboons. They also had long prehensile tails and pointed ears. They had shaggy gray to black fur and five-toed hand-like feet with long claws. Their skin was black except for their bright baboon faces, and they walked on all fours. The young girl's breathing was heavy, her blue gaze sweeping over the strange creatures before her.

"W-who are you?" she managed shakily. The apes looked surprised, chattering to each other in their own language.

To Bura's surprise, she got an answer. "The question is: who are _you_?" came a deep voice, cracked with age. She turned her head as best she could to face the one who had spoken. The mass of apes parted to let through a very old one, from the looks of him. His muzzle was wrinkled and his fur was flecked with silver. Most of the others bowed their heads respectfully, murmuring greetings in their language.

"Y-you can talk?" she asked incredulously.

The old ape smiled. "All things speak, young one, you just have to listen."

Bura looked amazed. "Where is this place?" she asked, looking around the green jungle.

"This is our home," answered the elder simply. "I am called Tiran (TEER –ahn), the Elder of this tribe."

Bura looked confused and scared, her eyebrows furrowed. "How do I get back?' she asked anxiously.

Tiran shook his graying head. "I cannot tell you how to get back to a place I do not know. But you may stay with our tribe until you find a way 'back'." He called something in his native language, and a young ape came running to the Elder. They exchanged a few words, and the smaller ape nervously approached her. He bit through the vines binding her, and stepped back so she could stretch. Cautiously Bura sat up. The young ape looked scared, but spoke.

"I am Arikanul, apprentice to Elder Tiran to become the next shaman. I… will be your teacher." He paused nervously, shifting his weight. "I am to teach you our ways while you stay here."

Bura smiled uncertainly at him, slightly relieved. "Nice to meet you, Arikanul."

Arikanul looked over his shoulder and grinned toothily. "You need to meet Yayaleu (yah-YAY-loo); she will help with your training." He called loudly over his shoulder in Ape, and another young one darted over to her and Arikanul. It was a female with dark gray fur and blue eyes. Her tail waved back and forth as she surveyed Bura with interest. She chattered something to Arikanul, who was standing beside her. Arikanul answered in Ape to his friend. He turned to Bura. "This is Yayaleu, but you can just call her Yaya. She doesn't speak the language of Man, but you will learn to speak our language quickly."

Bura was unsure of what to say. "Hello, Yaya," she said, trying to be friendly. The young female smiled an ape-ish smile and gave a pleased hoot.

"She says you can train with her once you learn to speak well," translated Arikanul.

The blue-haired girl smiled. She was already making friends. "Tell her I'd be glad to," replied Bura, feeling more comfortable. Looking up at the sky, she judged it to be around 11:30 in the morning. The island had a nice climate, not too hot or humid for her liking. A screech echoed through the trees, making them all jump. Yaya leapt into the trees, calling a hurried goodbye.

Arikanul smiled. "She is always late to hunt or train. And her mentor, Amarora, is never happy about it, but they get along very well."

Bura didn't know what to say. She was going to be taught to live as an ape on an island far from home and in the middle of nowhere. Arikanul's voice intruded on her thoughts.

"Are you ok, Siru'ya (sur-OO-yah)?" he asked, concerned. Bura blinked, coming back to reality.

"Yeah, I'm just a little confused. Wait, what did you call me?" she asked curiously.

Arikanul blinked twice, pausing a moment before answering. "Oh. Siru'ya, if that's what you mean. It means 'midnight blue' in the Old Language. I thought it was a fitting name for you."

"I see…" said the girl absently, looking into a small puddle of water next to her. Her hair, a striking sapphire, matched her eyes and looked just like her mother's. _My mother…_ she thought sadly, misery welling up inside her. The small ape's gray fur brushed her shoulder.

"What's wrong?" he asked softly.

"My family… back home…" she whispered, almost to herself.

"We'll get you back," said Arikanul encouragingly. "Don't worry. In the meantime, you'll be safe here."

"Where is 'here', exactly?" inquired Bura.

"This island is called Omiri, our word for 'home'," explained the apprentice.

"Omiri, that's interesting," said Bura. "Where do you live?"

"In the trees," replied the gray ape. "There we are safe from our enemies." He continued to explain life in the Omiri tribe, and began to teach her the ape language.

"_Greetings, friend of mine,_" chattered Arikanul in Ape. Bura repeated the sounds as best she could, but it took a while to adjust from speaking English to Ape.

"No, no," Arikanul shook his head, smiling. "Use your teeth and tongue; move your lips."

Bura tried again. "_Greetings, friend of mine,_" she hooted in Ape.

Arikanul beamed at her. "Very good! You are progressing quickly, Siru'ya."

"_Thank you, Arikanul-mentor."_ She chattered back.

Her mentor looked up at the darkening sky. "We should get back to camp; night is not safe for us." With a wave of his tail, he beckoned her into a tall tree. Bura hesitated at the trunk, for it was a tall tree. But she had some climbing experience, as she had loved to climb trees and look over the city back home. Feeling the sadness envelope her, Bura quickly pushed away the thoughts of home. With some effort, the blue-haired girl scaled the tree, crouching at the top next to Arikanul.

"Follow me," were his simple instructions. He leapt through the trees with practiced ease, using all five limbs to swing himself from branch to branch. Bura could barely keep up, and he had to slow down several times to wait for her. She crouched next to Arikanul, breathing heavily.

"Trust your body," he murmured to her. "Let your instincts take over. Learn to trust yourself." He leapt onto the next tree. Bura steadied herself, flipping her hair from her face. She eyed the distance to the next tree, feeling a surge of energy. She didn't resist it, feeling that she knew what to do. She kept pace with Arikanul, exhilaration flooding her senses as she flew through the jungle.

Before she knew it they had reached the camp, where apes were clustered around a large fire in the center of a clearing. An ancient stone temple could be seen in the distance. Bura briefly wondered what it could be, but the thought was fleeting. She followed Arikanul through the crowd, taking their places next to the Elder. A thousand pairs of eyes stared at them, waiting for Elder Tiran to speak.  
"_Greetings, friends of mine,_" began the old ape. The whole tribe bowed their heads in respect, murmuring greetings. "_This tribe has existed here for countless winters, and we have always accepted our differences. This is why we have survived for so long. You have all seen the Man-cub that fell upon our shore this dawn. She has done no harm, and we have no reason to do her any harm."_

The tribe murmured among themselves for a moment, before a broad-shouldered male stepped forward to speak. "_Elder, surely you do not mean to keep the Man-cub here in our tribe?" _he growled in his gravelly voice, narrowing his eyes at Bura, who shifted uncomfortably beneath his gaze.

"_But I do, Kakohyfo. It is our culture to be accepting of others._" Tiran said seriously. "_She has given us no reason not to trust her."_

"_But Elder, Man is the Great Destroyer of our legends! How can you be sure she is not a demon, banished from her land for the same reason we should banish her?"_ His fangs were bared in outrage, and the others were starting to get upset. Angry shrieks rose from the crowd, and Bura shrank back. Arikanul stepped protectively in front of her, baring his teeth and growling at any ape that dared come near. Tiran was silent, watching the events unfold.

Kakohyfo had his eyes fixed on Arikanul, and behind him, Bura. Arikanul saw this and took a defensive stance as the big ape warrior charged, giving a fearsome screech. The smaller ape jumped at the last second and butted his head into Kakohyfo's stomach. They hit the ground with a heavy 'thud'. Rolling and screeching, they fought furiously. Bura instantly knew her friend wouldn't last long against a full-grown ape warrior. She remembered his words "Trust your instincts."

So she did. With a fierce shriek, she threw herself onto Kakohyfo's broad back, clawing and biting. She dug her nails into his neck, holding on with one hand and beating on his head with the other. The enormous ape gave an enraged roar, shaking back and forth to try to throw her off. Bura stubbornly held on, desperately trying to give Arikanul enough time to get away. She tried to crane her neck to see if her friend had escaped, loosening her grip in the process. This gave Kakohyfo the opportunity to throw his head back and hit her in the chest, knocking her onto the ground. Bura landed hard on her back, winded. She dimly realized her hands were covered in blood as the huge ape pinned her to the ground. His huge head was inches from her face, teeth drawn back in a frightening snarl. The colors on his face intensified the terror she felt. "_Die, Man-cub,_" he growled through gritted teeth. He drew back to deliver the final blow, but Bura's expression changed. She curled her lip and spat in his face. This enraged the ape warrior even more.

That's when the voice of the Elder called out, "Stop!" Every pair of eyes turned to the wise old ape who was their leader. "That is enough, Kakohyfo," he said coldly. The large ape looked from Tiran to Bura, and he stepped back from her body. Arikanul hurried over to take her back to the relative safety of the crowd.

The Elder turned to the trees and waved his tail to signal the meeting was over. The horde of apes began to disperse, flooding into the trees. Bura stuck close to Arikanul, keeping his long gray tail in sight as they leapt through the trees. They stopped at a huge banyan with branches thicker than the trunks of many trees the blue-eyed girl had seen back in East City.

"Whoa…" she breathed at the sight of the huge tree, illuminated under the light of the crescent moon and countless stars. The temperature was very mild, and Bura was almost too warm in her capris and short-sleeved shirt. She had long since discarded her tennis shoes and socks climbing in the jungle.

"It's even more beautiful above the canopy," whispered Arikanul in her ear. Almost without thinking Bura began to swing herself up through the thick canopy, her gray-furred ape friend right behind. It was much brighter with nothing to block the light streaming from the celestial bodies, and Bura blinked against the silvery light. She was enraptured with the beauty of the dark ocean, waves lapping at the shore. The moon seemed to glow like a floodlight in the midnight-blue sky.

"Omiri is a beautiful place, Siru'ya," murmured the young ape. "Just like you." Bura turned her head in surprise, a cool sea breeze gently blowing strands of sapphire hair from her face.

"It is," she replied breathlessly. She turned to face him. "Thank you for putting yourself in danger to defend me," she said softly, looking at the swirls in the bark she was sitting on.

Arikanul looked surprised. "I only did what anyone else would have done for another tribe member," he replied, slightly embarrassed.  
"It was still brave of you," she insisted. "That warrior looked really mean."

Arikanul made a noise of annoyance at the mention of the brute that had attacked them. "Kakohyfo has never been one for acceptance. He is stubborn and short-tempered, too quick to judge. Not many feel any different, but he is part of the tribe, and our culture dictates that we treat everyone in the tribe as family."

Bura suddenly felt a wave of tiredness come over her. "Can we go to sleep now?" she asked, yawning.  
He smiled. "Of course. I will show you where we will sleep." He led her back down through the canopy, where it was dim except for the small fire at one of the lower levels of the tree. At one of the outer branches a large spherical dwelling resided, made of slim, flexible green branches and insulated with broad leaves and soft mosses and grasses. An adult female sat inside, awaking at their return. She smiled warmly upon seeing them.

"Arikanul, you are back! And you brought a friend! This Man-cub does not seem the Destroyer of our legends."

"She is not, I assure you," stated Arikanul. He turned to Bura. "Siru'ya, this is my caregiver Farrowan (FAIR-oh-wahn)." He turned back to the big female. "Farrowan, this is Siru'ya."

"Siru'ya… what a pretty name," remarked Farrowan. Bura smiled in acknowledgement of the compliment. "You will stay with us, then?" inquired the brownish-colored female.

"Yes," answered Arikanul. "She is progressing quickly, and may be ready to start training in a moon or so."

"So soon? She is a talented one, I can tell," said Farrowan with a smile. "But you are tired, I know, so sleep now, my cubs."

"Thank you," said Bura gratefully, feeling sleep tug at her once more. She curled up between Arikanul's and Farrowan's warm and furry bodies, looking up at the stars one last time before she sank into the quiet depths of sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning Bura was aroused by the smell of salty sea air blowing into the nest. She blinked as she sat up and stretched. Arikanul was sitting next to her, munching a pile of crisp-smelling mint leaves.

He swallowed. "Siru'ya, you are awake! Here, have some breakfast."

Bura smiled as her stomach rumbled. "Thanks," she replied gratefully as she dug into the pile of minty leaves. Her eyes got big as she bit into one. They were surprisingly flavorful, not at all tasting dry or bitter like she had imagined leaves would. She ate until her stomach was full, wiping her mouth with a torn sleeve.

Standing up, Bura felt a breeze blow straight through the large rips in her clothes. She blushed, trying to cover herself. Arikanul didn't seem to see what the problem was.

"What's wrong?" he inquired curiously.

Bura looked at the floor. "My… clothes are kinda…" she trailed off, knowing they were totally ruined and virtually un-wearable. She then noticed that something was repeatedly hitting her in the leg. She turned around to find nothing there. Her brows furrowed in confusion as she felt it again.

She heard Arikanul giggling behind her. She turned around, putting her hands on her hips. "What's so funny?" she asked, slightly indignant. His laughter died down to a smile as he reached forward and gently grasped her blue –furred tail, bringing the wriggling appendage around so she could see it. Bura gasped at the sight, jerking. A spasm of pain ran through her tail as she wrenched it from the gray ape's hand, making her gasp. She willed it to stop moving, and brought to her hand. She examined it in wonder. "I have a tail?" she wondered out loud. It was covered in soft blue fur, twitching every now and then. Bura remembered her mother Bulma telling her that her father had a tail once. She had never believed the story, thinking it ridiculous. She also remembered Vegeta always yelling at her mother that he was the Prince of the Saiyans, or something along those lines. Did that have something to do with having a tail?

"Well, that's a plus," remarked Arikanul, bringing the blue-haired girl back from her wonderings.

"Huh?" said Bura in confusion.

Arikanul smiled. "Now you'll be able to climb and hunt better, not to mention easier. Your tail will help you balance."

Bura nodded and nervously slipped off her shredded clothes, feeling quite exposed.

"It is too nice of a day to be spent inside," said Arikanul, walking to the entrance of the den. "You can hunt with Yaya and us."

The blue-haired girl looked elated to explore the lush island. They leapt through the levels of the huge banyan which was the home of the Omiri tribe. Soon they met up with Yaya, her sister Akoli, and Nikol. It was a beautiful day on the tropical island, perfect for foraging for the sweet fruits of the jungle.

Bura landed with a soft thump on the huge mossy stone next to her friends.

"You are an excellent climber, Siru'ya," praised Yaya, and the rest of them chimed in their agreement.

The human girl plunged her face into the cool water of the pool, drinking thirstily. "Thank you," she chattered back when she had quenched her thirst. The others did the same, and afterwards they simply lounged in the tropical sun coming in through a break in the canopy, shining on the warm moss-covered rock.

Bura realized she could see the dark stone temple that she had noticed upon her arrival in Omiri. "What's that over there?" she asked out of curiosity, pointing to the misty peak in the distance.

The other apes sat up, their expressions changing from enjoyment to seriousness. They exchanged looks as if giving their consent.

Then Arikanul spoke. "We do not go there. It is the temple of Inoxuval the Demon."

"Huh?"

"Inoxuval is said to be an evil spirit that takes the form of your worst fear," put in Yaya.

"Yeah," said Akoli with a grimace, "no one who has gone to that temple has ever returned."

Bura looked surprised and a little frightened.

Seeing the look on her face, Arikanul quickly put in, "He never leaves his lair, though, so we have nothing to worry about."

The blue-haired girl looked visibly relieved. "Thanks, guys, I was just curious," she said with a slightly nervous laugh, an attempt to lighten the mood.

"Let's go home," said Arikanul, "maybe we can pelt Kakohyfo with rotten fruit from the stores!" Everyone looked excited at this prospect, chattering excitedly and leaping into the trees. But Bura was still shaken by what she had just been told. She wasn't willing to admit it, but the description of Inoxuval the Demon had chilled her to the core.

_(Back at Capsule Corp.)_

The blue-haired woman sighed again, putting her head in her hands. Bulma Briefs felt terribly guilty about the disappearance of her daughter. _What went wrong?_ She thought for the hundredth time that day. Bura had always been a good girl. She had a fiery temper like her father, but she also had enough common sense from her mother that she didn't do anything stupid. Bulma couldn't think of anything that had gone wrong in the last week or so. She had gotten into an argument with Trunks and Goten, but she doubted that Trunks had done anything terrible.

She got up from the kitchen table, leaving the large phone book lying open. All the numbers she had called had seen no one with Bura's description. The East City Missing Persons Department had issued a search, but so far nothing had been found. Bulma had done nothing but worry since Bura's disappearance, and she was wracked with guilt. The blue-haired genius had taken the day off, not having the heart to go back to the lab and finish the machine she had been working on with her daughter missing. Trunks hadn't come out of his room all day, not even to play with Goten. Vegeta was, well, Vegeta. He hadn't left the gravity room, except to come into the kitchen demanding food.

Bulma suddenly had a brilliant idea. _Why didn't I think of this sooner?_ She thought, mentally slapping herself. She hurried down the hallway to the gravity room, barely aware of her surroundings. It took her a moment to realize she had bumped into something quite solid. She was about to snap at them before realizing it was Vegeta. He appeared to have just finished showering and was impatiently waiting for his wife's unavoidable demands.

"It's about time you got out of there!" she snapped, relieved and angry at the same time.

The short Saiyan rolled his eyes. "What do you want, woman?" he asked bluntly.

Bulma made a noise of annoyance. "It's about your daughter. I need you to find her."

Vegeta huffed. "Woman, I don't have time to search the entire planet for the brat."

"You thickheaded baka!" she yelled. "I'm not asking you to search the entire planet, just use your ability to sense ki!"

He looked even more annoyed. "There are billions of people on this planet. Picking out a single tiny ki that could be anywhere is no small task," he explained as if she were a complete idiot.

"Then get Goku to help!" she said exasperatedly.

Vegeta bristled with indignation. "I will not ask Kakarrot, of all people, for assistance on this ridiculous search!" he growled.

"You pig-headed bastard!" she screeched. "I can't believe you! You put your pride before your own daughter!"

He snorted. "She's half-Saiyan. If she has half the sense I would expect, she'll find her way back before next month."

"I—ARRRRRRRGGHH!" she yelled, not knowing what to say to that. She stomped away, incensed, back to her bedroom. Bulma slumped on the bed, tears streaming from her eyes. _I'm sorry, Bura._


End file.
